Federal Government is currently shopping for $3 billion required to link Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to Itakpe rail line.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, made the disclosure on Thursday during an inspection tour of Itakpe rail project.
He further noted that a seaport will be required for a successful connection of Abuja to Itakpe by rail.
“Connecting the Itakpe rail project to Abuja will require us going to go to the cabinet first, when the cabinet approves that, it will be a different project altogether.
“we need about $3 billion dollars with a seaport at Warri”, Amaechi said.
The minister said work had reached advanced stage of completion, pointing out that what was left was laying of tracks.
“The work is nearing completion here. Julius Berger has said that they will be out of here by June and the only company that will be left here is the CCECC which have to do with the tracks work. And, when they finish the track work, this place would be open for use.
“On the track, we’ve compared the track work and what is outstanding with the stations that they are working on and so, before October, they should be able to finish the stations if they continue with the current pace of work, they can actually do it. We are not harassing them today because we are owing them. But, when we pay them, we can harass them.
“The communications guys are here, they have reported to site, but, not much is felt, so we need to send for them because, they are the problem we have now. But, when they finish, there will be the train, the track, there will be the offices, but; the question is, the goods. So, we need the companies that are mining iron-ore here and then the passengers to use the train.”
Amaechi disclosed that 12 stations exists on this axis adding that none has been completed.
According to him, “ There are different levels of completion and some, they said have the structural work completed, it remains the mere finishing”
He however revealed that the entire project will be completed by October.
“This place should be ready by September, or October. They should start paying for the ride, it cannot be free forever. I’m impressed with the level of work done so far. When you are owing someone, you can’t say that you are not impressed with them. Remember, this is the third visit. The first visit, this place was overgrown with weeds. The second visit, they had started, but; only on the other phase, on this third visit, we see that they have almost completed the work.
He directed the Nigeria Railway Corporation(NRC) to put an end to the free train ride that was introduced in October 2018.
” Passengers should start paying money, it can’t be free for ever,” he said.
“This is the fastest train that I have joined in Nigeria, the design speed is 150km, the actual running speed is 120km so, if you are going on 111, it’s just 9 kilometers away from the 120 kilometers. We would not spend billion fencing the rail tracks”.
Stella Enenche, Abuja
